Gold coins donatedFor the first time in recent memory, Holland's Salvation Army received a gold coin donation to its red kettles — make that three gold coins.Salvation Army Maj. Paul Duskin...

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Gold coins donated

For the first time in recent memory, Holland's Salvation Army received a gold coin donation to its red kettles — make that three gold coins.

Salvation Army Maj. Paul Duskin said the three coins are two 1/10-ounce Liberty coins worth $125 each on Friday and a 1-ounce Canadian Maple Leaf coin valued at $1,200, dropped into a red kettle on Monday. The Maple Leaf, Duskin wrote in an email to The Sentinel, "was wrapped inside a paper towel inside a $1 bill and dropped in a kettle."

Maj. Betty Grindle, who coordinates bell ringer schedules, said the Maple Leaf went into a kettle at the Family Fare on South Washington Avenue, with one Liberty coin each being donated at two shops on Butternut, at the Family Fare and the Walgreen's.

Grindle said this year about 40 people volunteered to ring bells to bring attention to the kettles.

"We've had a lot of fantastic help from individuals, service clubs and churches," she said. "Large groups from Life Stream Church and the Fellowship Reformed Church both spent a lot of time and we had two individual volunteers who each spent four afternoons a week for three weeks ringing the bell from 2 to 5 p.m.

Besides the influx of cash from the gold coins and other donations, which will be used to help needy people in the community, Salvation Army officials said the red kettle campaign ended Tuesday, but monetary donations are welcome any time of the year.

There's a good chance that Gordy and Tonya Jaehnigs' children didn't get everything on their Christmas list today.

"We're just happy that our family is together and healthy," said Tonya Jaehnig, of Zeeland, holding some of the gifts provided by Holland's Salvation Army, which helped 650 families have a Merry Christmas this year. Jaehnig looked for the doll one of her daughters requested, to no avail. But Ashlyn, 13. and Courtney, 10, had plenty to unwrap.

Jaehnig, 39, was a Salvation Army bell ringer at 15 and periodically since. She's used the summer camp program for her children. A few years ago, the family joined Holland Salvation Army's congregation. With Gordy Jaehnig disabled — he gets around on a motorized scooter — her pay as a Head Start preschool teacher doesn't make ends meet. With Salvation Army's help, Christmas is happier than it would be otherwise, she said, and "we're just so grateful for that."

The Jaehnigs' daughters found makeup, nail polish, puzzles, fuzzy socks, games and other surprises this morning, the whole family will enjoy a Christmas dinner together, said Tonya Jaehnig, which includes her son, Paul Koeller, 18.

Salvation Army employees and volunteers aided parents over three days last week; every 15 minutes, Maj. Mary Duskin checked in 15 parents. Maj. Paul Duskin, her husband, presided over the building's warehouse, where toys, puzzles, games and other gifts awaited selection.

Volunteer Sherri Shaddox of Holland held sway over carefully sorted gift cards redeemable at Kohl's, American Eagle, Target, Best Buy and Family Dollar, along with a cache of cards good at area fast-food restaurants. Teenage boys are the hardest to buy for at Christmas, Shaddox said, and gift cards are a big hit.

Elizabeth Long, 23, helped a family by hauling the gifts they selected, using a large black plastic trash bag. Long donated her time, she said, after enjoying a volunteer stint for Benton Harbor's Salvation Army earlier this year. Laid off for months, she starts a new job in January and wanted to give back while she had time.

"People tell me volunteering looks good on college applications," she said. "My sister is in college and she tells me a lot of her friends do volunteer work."

Other volunteers, including members of West Ottawa's girls basketball team, assembled donated food with a Christmas ham for holiday meals.

The Duskins praised the generous community donations for helping so many others.